Reversibly deformable and mechanically tunable fluidic antennas

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a fluidic structure is disclosed. A cavity that defines a shape of an element of the fluidic structure within a material is formed. The cavity is filled with liquid metal. The cavity is sealed. The fluidic structure behaves as an antenna. A fluidic antenna includes a material that defines a shape of the fluidic antenna by a cavity filled with liquid metal formed within the material, where the material further defines at least one mechanical property of the fluidic antenna.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving, via a receiving antenna of a computing device, a radio frequency signal transmitted via a fluidic antenna coupled to a structural element, where at least one liquid metal antenna element is formed within a material that defines an elastomeric mechanical property of the fluidic antenna and where spectral transmission characteristics of the fluidic antenna change in response to changes in shape of the fluidic antenna; 
 determining a resonant frequency of the radio frequency signal; and 
 determining a strain on the structural element based upon the determined resonant frequency of the radio frequency signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , where determining the resonant frequency of the radio frequency signal comprises:
 processing the radio frequency signal via spectral analysis; and 
 determining the resonant frequency of the radio frequency signal based upon output of the spectral analysis. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , where determining the strain on the structural element based upon the determined resonant frequency of the radio frequency signal comprises:
 comparing the determined resonant frequency with an unstrained resonant frequency of the fluidic antenna; 
 determining a deviation of the determined resonant frequency relative to the unstrained resonant frequency of the fluidic antenna; and 
 determining the strain on the structural element based upon the determined deviation of the determined resonant frequency relative to the unstrained resonant frequency of the fluidic antenna. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , where the fluidic antenna is coupled to the structural element with a biased elastomeric strain resulting in a biased resonant frequency, and where determining the strain on the structural element based upon the determined resonant frequency comprises determining one of a compressive strain and a tensile strain on the structural element based upon the determined resonant frequency. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , where determining the one of the compressive strain and the tensile strain on the structural element based upon the determined resonant frequency comprises:
 comparing the determined resonant frequency with the biased resonant frequency of the fluidic antenna; 
 determining a deviation of the determined resonant frequency relative to the biased resonant frequency of the fluidic antenna; 
 determining whether the deviation of the determined resonant frequency relative to the biased resonant frequency comprises one of a higher frequency and a lower frequency relative to the biased resonant frequency; 
 determining the compressive strain on the structural element in response to determining that the determined resonant frequency comprises the higher frequency; and 
 determining the tensile strain on the structural element in response to determining that the determined resonant frequency comprises the lower frequency. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a radio frequency identifier (RFID) associated with a device that transmitted the radio frequency signal; 
 logging the RFID associated with the device that transmitted the radio frequency signal; and 
 logging the determined strain on the structural element.